Rogers’ executive team should monitor and attempt to influence what shows up on the Web. Case in point: the following screenshot reveals Google’s results when searching Rogers Customer Service (click on image to enlarge):

The number one result is a blog post critical of Rogers Customer Service, complete with dozens of subsequent comments that slam the company. The post is consistently in Google’s top 10 results, and often ranks above their official websites.

It all started with a blog entry I posted about Rogers’ no-shows and screw-ups that fell upon deaf ears for more than a year. Dozens of others vented as well, including customers, ex-customers and even employees. So, when consumers type Rogers customer service into Google or other search engines, the company’s poor service is often brought to their immediate attention.

Should ‘big brother’ be watching?

One person, Wayne, commented on April 2: “This site should not be opened to any Rogers individuals who work for them now or in the past. Rogers should be [blocked] from this site entirely…big brother is watching.”

I wholeheartedly disagree. Rogers should, in fact, be watching – and closely. Hundreds of unhappy Rogers customers are finding out they’ve got lots of company, and an anti-Rogers community is forming. Rogers should listen, and make an effort to participate and change the tide. Sitting on the sideline is bad for their brand and bottom line.

“I’m still currently on hold for Rogers for about 4 hours now on speaker phone,” wrote another disgruntled customer. “We should definitely set up a protest and make our voices heard. Seriously, it’s about time. RALLY RALLY RALLY!!!”

Connect a few people who are this passionate about a cause, and boom! A movement is born. And it doesn’t take much time and effort for things to go viral on the Web and reach the masses.

On the topic of participating, some Rogers employees and former employees did reach out; some even apologized: “Some reps in customer service [definitely] do not do their jobs and [I] do [apologize] for that..that’s just how the system works,” wrote one employee. An ex-employee noted there are “many screw ups” because Rogers’ employee “turn-over rate is so high.”

Whether the frequent service blunders are due to a flawed system, or rapid turn-over, Rogers should listen to its employees and customers and rectify the issues at hand, or any growth will sooner or later be surpassed by angry customers cancelling contracts.

The inbound call is a valuable marketing event

In a post, author and marketing guru Seth Godin made reference about the inbound phone call being a hugely valuable marketing event for a business: “The goal of every single interaction should be to upgrade the brand’s value in the eye of the caller and to learn something about how to do better, not to get the caller to just go away.”

Godin added: “’Your call is very important to us,’ does not jibe with, ‘Due to unusually heavy call volume.’”

Few would argue. Meanwhile, Rogers customers are reporting things like:

“30-40 calls (NOT exaggerating), maybe 15-20 hrs to JUST fix that.”

“And this week, aside from being given the usual run around – ‘call here’, ‘no, call there,’ ‘no, call them back,’ I called up the local store – no one picked up, and I was transferred to voicemail…and the voicemail box was full!”

“I have spent the last 2 days speaking with 12 different people at Rogers”

“I just sent an email about my screwy experience and got a automated reply: ‘Thank you for your inquiry. Due to an increase in email volume, it may take us up to 5 business days to respond to your email. We apologize for this inconvenience’.”

Some consumers have gone out of their way to find a solution that doesn’t include Rogers. One ex-customer wrote: “I have decided that Rogers is not the only game in town. I have decided to buy a phone from the States and a North American plan, unlock it and just get a card and number to use here in Ontario… saves lots of money [and] I do not need to [contend] with Rogers [Customer Service representatives].”

So, for the sake of consumers and Rogers’ bottom line, Rogers Customer Service should start paying attention to its online reputation, and react accordingly.

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